Bill Cosby accuser says she wants her 'good name' restored

Matt Rourke / AP

Comedian and Navy veteran Bill Cosby speaks during a Veterans Day ceremony in Philadelphia. A federal judge will hear arguments on May 7 in U.S. District Court in Worcester, Mass., in a defamation lawsuit filed by three women who allege Cosby sexually assaulted them decades ago.

Comedian and Navy veteran Bill Cosby speaks during a Veterans Day ceremony in Philadelphia. A federal judge will hear arguments on May 7 in U.S. District Court in Worcester, Mass., in a defamation lawsuit filed by three women who allege Cosby sexually assaulted them decades ago.

A Florida woman suing Bill Cosby for defamation said she wants her reputation restored after she was branded a liar by his representatives when she came forward with decades-old sexual assault allegations.

Therese Serignese, of Boca Raton, said her case, which had a brief hearing before a federal judge in Worcester on Thursday, is not about financial compensation but about clearing her "good name."

"It hurts to be called the things that I have been called," the 58-year-old nurse said after the hearing, which was the first since the lawsuit was filed in December. "I take pride in my word. I'm an honest person. I came forward with statements of truth. I expect Mr. Cosby to be an honest person as well."

The lawsuit focuses on the defamation allegations and not the assault allegations.

Thursday's hearing focused on a request to subpoena records from the lawyers for Andrea Constand, the first woman to file a lawsuit against Cosby for alleged sexual transgressions.

But Cosby's lawyers argued Thursday that the request was improper and unnecessary. A federal judge denied the motion.

Three women who allege Bill Cosby sexually assaulted them decades ago say in a court filing that he doesn't have a right to lie and hide behind the statements of his representatives to have their defamation lawsuit dismissed.

"Cosby claims a privilege to defame where none exists; tries to shield...

The suit also includes two other women as plaintiffs — Tamara Green and Linda Traitz — who say they have been slandered by Cosby's representatives after accusing the "Cosby Show" star of sexual misconduct.

The three women are among dozens who have stepped forward in recent years with assault accusations against Cosby, who hasn't been charged with any crime.

The actor and comedian, who has a home in western Massachusetts, was not present at the hearing Thursday, and his lawyers declined to comment.

In court filings, Cosby's lawyers have argued that he was merely acting in self-defense when, through his representatives, he made critical statements about his accusers.